Trey Wooton & Nikki Wooton shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Trey & Nikki, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
We’ve always said that our customers are part of our family. Since we’ve been open over five years now, we’ve already seen several stages of our kiddos’ lives…the kiddos who started coming to play when we first opened are going into kindergarten this year! I had a moment recently where a family came in who has been coming for a while. She asked about our family because our now adult children helped at the gym when we first opened too. My daughter just got engaged, so she was so excited to hear. It was fun to show photos and give details! This is exactly what we envisioned… not just another play place…a family and a community within itself!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
We are Trey & Nikki. Nikki was a teacher but had been a stay-at-home-mom for years. Trey was a Children’s Pastor. Because of our son being on the autism spectrum and getting overwhelmed at the typical play places, we became aware of a need in our community for a safe place where all kids of all abilities – especially kids with special needs- could play with others in an inclusive, judgement-free atmosphere.
The fact that We Rock the Spectrum – Forest Hill is an intentional place of inclusion and not just another play place or indoor playground is what is unique. We have carved a distinct niche in that families who come to our gym feel safe and not judged. We strive to be inclusive and “Finally a place you never have to say I’m sorry” where grace is expected. The community sees it that way. We do our best every day to make sure families who come into our doors feel safe and not judged and included! We have had many parents share how thankful they are for We Rock providing a one-of-a-kind environment. We are for ALL kids and ALL abilities. It’s a place where kids and parents can breathe and be themselves. We partner with several organizations to provide job opportunities and internships with the neurodivergent teens and adults in the community. We continue to look for creative ways to network with other small businesses and people. We feel that we differentiate from competitors in our customer base of families both neurotypical and neurodivergent as we have created a community within our business. People see the difference as we treat our business as more of a mission than a business.
Even though we are part of a franchise, we are a small business and family owned! The mission of inclusion and being a safe place for all is definitely evident in our day to day business. Since we have first-hand experience with our neurodiverse son, we have even more of a passion and drive to do everything we can to make sure our business that caters to neurodiverse kids and families is successful. Two years ago we launched We Rock on Wheels – Forest Hill which is a mobile gym that we can take to places. We can do birthday parties, events, festivals, and more! This is giving us a chance to expand our reach for all kids and all abilities! We can’t believe that we just celebrated 5 years of being open!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
We would say for both of us that our parents taught us the most about work. Both sets worked hard and put their all into everything they did from teaching, firefighting, and managing restaurants. We were both taught to pursue our dreams and not to give up. We were taught that you don’t do things to be in the spotlight; it’s not always the big gestures that make a difference. It’s being consistent and reliable. It’s showing up and enjoying your job no matter what you are doing. We hope that those ethics show up in the way we run our business every day.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Honestly, there are many times that we have questioned the direction of the gym. The economy has been hard on our small business that depends on people coming in regularly. We know that we opened We Rock for the mission of inclusion; that’s what keeps us going. Almost every time we start questioning and discussing options, something happens that reiterates the fact that We Rock is our mission and our passion and what we need to be doing! Persistence and determination to make this work will prevail!
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
A cultural value that we will protect at all costs is the view that all people are valued and should be accepted for who they are. All people belong and should not be judged for who they are. With being in the world of neurodivergency, this value is super important to us as inclusion is our entire mission. We all have our differences and are unique. No one should ever have to apologize for that!
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
We hope the story other people will tell about us when we’re gone is the story of hope, passion, and love. We hope people will remember how much we loved people. We hope people will talk about how supported and included they felt when they walked into the doors of the gym. We put our all into our business being a community where all kids of all abilities felt like they belong. We hope that We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym – Forest Hill will continue even when we’re gone!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.werockthespectrumforesthill.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrtsforesthill/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/93774220/admin/dashboard/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRTSForestHill/
